Raid on Dunkerque
The Raid on Dunkerque was a naval bombardment of the Grandelumierian port of Dunkerque in June 1763 by Royal Navy forces under Rear-Admiral George Rodney. It is the opening action of the War of British Succession and achieved its objective of destroying resources being prepared for the invasion of the British Isles. Background By June of 1763 the Duc de Penthièvre's invasion plans were underway with intensive naval preparations being made at the ports of St. Malo, Morlaix, Brest, Le Havre, Lorient, Nantes, and Dunkerque. Troops were also being assembled at Saint-Brieuc, Le Havre, Morlaix, and Dunkerque. British intelligence was aware that Dunkerque was one of many ports being prepared for an invasion of the British Isles, though they wrongly believed it was to be the staging point of the operation into England, while in reality, it was designated for the troops landing in Scotland under the command of the Marquis de Nesle, who was attending court at the time. Raid On June 11th, Rear-Admiral George Brydges Rodney sailed from Grimsby with a squadron of ships, with orders to destroy any ships and supplies prepared at Dunkerque in anticipation of the looming Grandelumierian invasion. Rodney's squadron consisted of his own flagship Achilles, ''a sixty-gun ship of the line, four other fifty-gun fourth rates, five frigates, a sloop, and six bomb ketches. Upon nearing the Grandelumierian coast, Rodney's squadron encountered three ships, ''Françoise, Bizarre, Belle-Dame, corsairs under the command of Jean Couillard, himself a Breton privateer. As the two squadrons closed on each other, gun ports open, Couillard from his own forty-eight gun Bizarre called out in English, "Are we at peace or at war?" Couillard repeated the question three times, seemingly to no effect until Rodney finally replied, "La paix, la paix." A moment of tense silence was broken when Achilles ''unleashed a devastating broadside at close range into ''Bizarre. Two of the fourth rates, Chatham ''and ''Norwich ''fired into the corsairs alongside ''Achilles and the other ships soon drew up and followed suit. After a brief but brutal combat, Bizarre ''was sunk and ''Belle-Dame ''struck her colors while ''Françoise ''very narrowly escaped. The squadron continued onto Dunkerque and commenced bombing on the morning of the 15th. The bombardment lasted for 31 hours until June 16th at two in the afternoon. In total, over 2,500 shells were fired at the town. Dunkerque burnt with a fury for nearly twelve hours despite the great clamor of men that attempted to put it out. Additionally, efforts were made to push twelve pounders onto the beach to attempt firing at the British assailants, though the ships exceeded their range. Aftermath While the preparations made at Dunkerque laid in ruins following the raid, the invasion still commenced as planned, albeit with some minor delay to the planned Jacobite rising in Scotland. ''Françoise ''quickly sailed to Le Havre and warned the town of the British attack on Dunkerque, and soon enough, the joined fleets from Brest and Toulon under the command of the Comte de Beaumont sailed from Brest to seize superiority of the Channel. Rodney's squadron meanwhile left Dunkerque for Portsmouth to repair and rearm before joining with the other naval squadrons in the Channel in anticipation for the departure of the Grandelumierian fleet from Brest. Line of Battle ; Ships of the line * ''Achilles (60), flagship, Rear-Admiral George Rodney * Chatham (50), Captain John Lockhart * Deptford (50), Captain John Hollwell * Isis (50), Captain Edward Wheeler * Norwich (50), Captain George Darby ; Frigates * Brilliant (36), Captain Hyde Parker * Juno (36), Captain Henry John Philips * Vestal (32), Captain Samuel Hood * Boreas (28), Captain Hon. Robert Boyle * Unicorn (28), Captain Thomas Graves ; Sloop * Wolf (8), Commander Hugh Bromedge ; Bomb ketches * Furnace, Commander Jonathan Faulknor * Firedrake, Commander James Orrok * Basilisk, Commander John Clarke * Mortar, Commander Joseph Hunt * Carcass, Commander Charles Inglis * Blast, Commander Thomas Willis Category:War of the British Succession Category:Grandelumierian Battles